Railroad gate



March 9 1926. v 1,576,469

C. E. RICE v RAILROAD GATE Filed NOV. 16, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 PatentedMar, 9, 1926.

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CHARLES RICE, OF nnLnnY, FLORIDA.

RAILROAD GATE} Application 'filed iq'evember 'JJ8, 1-925.- Serial No.69,419i

reference being had to the. accompanying drawings, and to letters orfigures ot' reference marked thereon, which form a part oi thisspecification,

The invention has relation to means for operating railroad gates atcrossings and other similar places, having for an object to provideimproved means for automatically doing this work upon passage of the caror train in, eitherdirection and for automatically returning the gate tofirst or inoperative position.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination ofparts, as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, Figure 1 is aplan View of the invention somewhat diagrammatic showing the gates asset to operative position and the car approaching a crossing; Figure 2is a side view of the same; Figure 3 is a side viwe of the inventionpartly in section and parts broken away on a somewhat larger scale,parts being shown in adjusted positions in dotted lines, parts being innormal position in full lines; Figure l: is a detail plan view oi thelatch to hold the gate set to operative position; Figure 5 is a detailview o't one of the drums showing the cables and Figure 6 a detailsectional view of the guideway wherein works the device actuated by theramp upon the car or train.

In these drawings, the numeral 1 designates a railroad gate of anyapproved form, to the pivot 2 of which is fast a drum 3, whereon iswound in one direction a cable l, one end of which is extenderdownwardly at 5 around guide pulley 6, and horizontally extended at 7along one side of the railroad track 8 a suflicient distance away fromthe crossing and having its termination attached to coiled spring 9, theother end of said s-ipring being connected to slide 10 having an upwardprojecting lug 11, adapted for engagement with the ramp of a locomotive,or

other: car, said slide working in guideway 12.

The other end of said cable 4 is extended downwardly at 13 around vguide pulley i l and thencehorizontally at 15 in a direction opposite tothat of thesaid end portion 7 ot the cable, along the same side of thetrack as ondrportion 7 a suiiicient distance and .then around a: guidepulley 16 and extended rei-ersely at Hand havingits terminal connectedto coiled-spring 18, the otherend ot' said. spring being connected to aslide 19, working in guideway 20 and having an upward projecting lug 21adapted for operation by the ramp 22 of a locomotive or car.

Upon operation of the slide 19 by ramp 1 22, the movement of said slidein its guideway will extendthe spring 18 tov exert tension upon. thecable 15. and thereby rotate thedru n 3 andset" the ate from verticalto, horizontal JOSltlOIl where it is en a ed 7 c n. i

and yieldably held by spring latch 23, the slide at the end of itsguideway moving latorally due to a lateral ofl set 20 of the latter andthus escaping from the said ramp, whereupon said slide will be reverselymoved by its spring, to take up excess move- .ment thereof in escapingsaid ramp as stated.

The locomotive or car having passed the ".ng it is desired to return thegate to .,al position and to this end ramp 22 oil the locomotive engagesthe lug oi the other slide 10, thereby extending the coiled spring 9 andexerting tension upon the said end portion 7 (it thee-able to rotatesaid drum 3 and return the gate as stated with satlicient force toovercome the comparat velv slight re rsistancoot the spring latch '33,the lug ot the slide escaping from the ramp by lateral movement in alateral extension 12 at said gnideway in the same way as before stated,and the spring 9 returning the slideautomatically to normal position,the tension upon the cable simultaneously returning the slide 19 tonormal position. it will be noted that the norn'ial position of slide 19is at one end of its guideway 20, and the normal position of the lOis atthe other end of its guideway 12, and that in the operation of the slide19 to set the gate to operative or horizontal position, the said slide10 is moved to the other end of its guideway 12, preliminary tooperation to set the gate to inoperative or vertical position. Thecoiled springs entill able tension to be exerted upon the cable in sucha yielding manner as not to impose too much shock or strain upon theparts.

A duplicate set of devices is arranged upon the other side of the trackin reversed relation for the purpose of operating the gate upon thatside of the track, (the same numerals being employed for designating theparts) by a train or car traveling in the opposite direction, wherebythe gate will be thrown by a train traveling in either direction, and inorder that both gates shall be thrown to operative or inoperative posi-.

tion sinniltaneously, the two drums 3, which are located diagonallyopposite each other, are connected by a cable 25, passing around guidepulleys 2(3 and so wound and directed as to cause the one drum to beoperated or rotated when the other is rotated. It will be noted that thecoiled springs also hold the cables taut at all times and yield inharmony.

I claim 1. Means for automatically operating railroad gates, including adrum upon the pivot of the gate and having a cable Wound thereon, aguideway spaced from said gate at one side thereof and having a. slideworking therein, said slide having a spring con nection with one endportion of said cable and being operable by a ramp upon the car totension said spring connection to thereafter set the gate to operativeposition, and a guideway spaced from said gate at the opposite sidethereof and having a slide working therein, said slide having a springconnection with the other end portion of said cable and being operableby said ramp of the car to tension said spring and thereafter set thegate to inoperative position.

2. Means for automatically operating two laterally opposite railroadgates, including a drum upon the pivot of each gate and having a cablewound thereon, a. guideway for each gate spaced therefrom at one sidethereof and having a slide working therein, said slide having a springconnection with one end portion of its related cable and being operableby a ramp upon the car to tension said spring connection to thereafterset both gates to operative position, and a gnideway for each gate atthe opposite side thereof and having a slide working therein, said slidehaving aspring connection with the other end portion of the relatedcable and being operable by said ramp of the car to tension said springconnection and thereafter set both gates to inoperative position.

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

CHARLES E. RICE.

